4.09.2011

Don't call Boehner 'stupid'

When John Boehner and House Republicans pushed through a last-minute bill demanding cuts to Planned Parenthood and stripping the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to control greenhouse emissions – as discussed in DemWit’s last post – they knew exactly what they were doing.

This was ideological trickery at its best. In addition to titillating his base, Boehner’s “social issues” scheme had America holding its collective breath, but, hey, a group of eighth-graders will now get to visit the Washington Monument.

The front page of The New York Times (LINK) sums it up nicely:

“Although both sides compromised, Republicans were able to force significant spending concessions from Democrats in exchange for putting to rest some of the vexing social policy fights that had held up the agreement.”

In his 11th hour comments to the nation, Obama continued to express his desire for both parties to work together for America’s future, calling spending cuts “painful” to many Americans and saying WE must begin to “live within our means.”

Now, whether the president means an editorial “we” referring to the government or to me as a citizen is unclear. (The New York Times article interprets the "we" as meaning Americans.) I have always lived within my means. My problem is, like so many Americans, my means ain't keeping up with the times.

I am not yet clear on how “painful” the historic $38 billion spending cuts deal will be. That requires further reading on my part, but I am clear on one thing.

Don’t call Boehner "stupid."

***

Read or view President Obama’s late-night remarks on the budget deal HERE.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

stupid, maybe no, ignroant, yes. PV, NYC

Unknown said...

hope, oops, ignroant instead of ignorant doesn't put me in boehner's class!! PV, NYC! next time better use preview!!

B.J. said...

Aside to my old classmate: I was a finalist in a spelling bee at Hardy Jr. High School. The word was “ignorant.” I began, “i-n”. When given a second chance, I said, “I-n”. To this day, it’s not one of my favorite words, LOL. Now, back to the post.

a poet.... said...

saw this quote thought it might fit here:

"if you like small government, a relatively large military, low taxes, and limited regulation, why not move to a country that has these things?

Take Pakistan for example."

yeah.

it aint about what "is" is anymore. its about who you mean by "we".

sigh....

B.J. said...

Poet! It’s always good to hear form you. Greeat quote!

Leslie Parsley said...

"Crafty" is the word I'd use. "Dishonest." "Liar." "Schemer." "Political Hack."

If there had been a shut-down, and it still can happen, Obama would have been blamed. No doubt he will be blamed by the TeaLefties for "caving."

B.J. said...

tnlib:

I have thought long and hard about a response. I am neither a “TeaLeftie” nor an Obama-basher. Yes, I supported Hillary, but I voted for Obama. I have written thousands of words either praising or defending the president. In fact, during the campaign itself, I am on record in this blog as having written more posts defending Obama against lies than promotoing Hillary’s candidacy.

Obama and the Democrats didn’t so much “cave” as open a Pandora’s box. What the Republicans did was a form of extortion which worked.

After the last-minute deal Friday night, The New York Times reports today about the upcoming partisan debate on raising the debt ceiling. Since interjecting ideological issues into a spending debate worked so well for the Republicans, here’s what they plan for the debt ceiling showdown:

“Republicans have also signaled that they will again demand fundamental changes in policy on health care, the environment, abortion rights and more, as the price of their support for raising the debt ceiling.”

They have picked a few “hot button” issues to develop a strategy intened to bring Obama and Senate Democrats to their knees, and we ain’t seen nothing yet.

Read “Next on the Agenda for Washington: Fight over Debt,” The New York Times, 9 April 2011, HERE

Frodo, speakin' up again, said...

"Now do I take 10 benzedrine tablets, and two dexadrene tablets, or is it the other way around." -- these immortal words, once mouthed by a modern day dentist, resulted in a long period of unstated observation by the Hobbit. Sometimes it is better to remain silent and let people think you're stupid, than to speak up and thereby erase all doubt, so said one much wiser than Frodo.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Ok, Ok, I will not call him stupid but I will call him "Agent Orange," a Vietnam-era defoliant that strips the land bare and leaves long-lasting health consequences.

If we no longer call him stupid, may we at least pronounce his name correctly? The "oe" is an English spelling of the German umlaut pronounced "errr" as in "burner." Play off that word any way you want.